Delightful Delegation

The importance of delegation.  Choosing to delegate your tasks is a great way to make your work life more efficient. People who work hard and do their utmost to take care of what they should be doing will find themselves being more productive as they will have more time to spend on tasks that require their own work. When we delegate tasks we are not saying that we are not capable of doing the tasks; we are basically saying that someone else is also capable of doing the tasks and allowing others to do the tasks frees up our time. 

Below, I have six tips on how to delegate correctly. 

1. Fit the task to the right skilled person. If you want the job done right, choose the right person and provide the right tools, training, and leadership. 
2. Respect what the person you are delegating to can and cannot do. You need to be realistic when it comes to the different tasks that need to be done. 
3. Now write down all the tasks that you could delegate.  These tasks will require you to trust the individual you are delegating to.  Note how you will monitor their progress and be assured they are following the SOP you have designed outlining their job.
4. Be realistic as to the workload you assign this individual.  Realize that you are the expert, at least at your job, so don’t expect them to be as efficient or as fast as you are.  Find some way to properly manage their time and your trust. 
5. Be very clear in the job description when hiring to delegate work.  It is easier to hold employees accountable for their job if you were very straightforward about exactly what you expect (regarding output and time), how to do it, and required skills. 
6. Finally, have daily measurable goals in place and a means to record, report, discuss, and improve outcomes.  This is oftentimes called a “Daily Report”.  This is extremely important when it comes to trust, improvement, and monitoring benchmarks.